Soul Tempo | Doing Our Father’s Business | TheUrbanMusicScene.com

Album Review: Soul Tempo – Doing Our Father’s Business

By Peggy Oliver

Listen
to song samples from “Dong Our Father’s Business” by Soul Tempo,
exclusively from Amazon, on our Gospel
Page by clicking
here!!

In
the 1996 movie The Preacher’s Wife, Soul Tempo performed on screen with
an acappella reading of the Swan Silvertones, “The Lord’s Prayer.” It
is hard to top for any modern quartet to touch one of gospel music
legends who were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002. But
experiencing groups like Soul Tempo who cover a whole lot of ground in a
classy manner from the traditional to hip-hop is quite extraordinary
this day and age. Formed in 1985, brothers Kevin and Phillip Mitchell
and their childhood friends Jeremiah Brunson and Anthony Burnett are
‘sort of latecomers’ to the gospel industry who won the 2009 McDonald’s
Gospel Fest. They also sung for the Democratic Debate on PBS moderated
by Tavis Smiley and have inspired audiences on several stages, including
the Apollo Theater.

The Connecticut based quartet’s sophomore disc – Doing Our Father’s Business
– is well packaged; from the first-rate production guidance of veteran
Chris Davis (Kim Burrell, Will Downing, etc.) to the engaging photo of
the quartet donning business suits and briefcases. As for their sound,
Soul Tempo stamps their sophisticated, unusually placed harmonies in a
variety of settings. Opening with Soul Tempo Prayer,
the quartet maintains a quiet storm R&B atmosphere with Curtis
Mayfield’s inspirational masterpiece, “People Get Ready” and “Jesus Is
The Answer” from the Andrae Crouch songbook. Though the group
demonstrates versatile chops, about half of Doing My Father’s Business
centers on the Boyz II Men zone. On “Fix It,” the mood switches to a
bouncy seventies funk bounce. Soul Tempo boldly takes the Stevie Wonder
hit “Higher Ground” as the melody. This move might result in disaster
for others, yet this plan actually favors Soul Tempo because of their
mature vocal skills. In another change of direction, “Touch the Hem of
His Garment” (inspired by Matthew 9:20), one of Sam Cooke’s greatest
moments with The Soul Stirrers, is almost a dead ringer to the original
version. The quartet eases through the traditional quartet style proud
with “Further Up The Road.” Soul Tempo transforms the children’s
favorite “Jesus Loves Me” into the laid-back R&B ballad, “I Know He
Loves Me;” complete with their adlib frosting. Not afraid to flex
hip-hop into their quartet arrangements, “Life Could Be Better” is
anchored with a sparkling piano hook and attractive (and well
articulated) rap verses: “You know the rules, everybody is making plans.
But He already has a plan for you.” Doing My Father’s Business closes
with “The Lord’s Prayer,” a glorious African-inflected acappella track,
which was also featured on their debut album of the same name.

Considering this is an independent release (from Soul Tempo Music), Doing My Father’s Business
delivers just as many goods alongside the bigger gospel music guns.
Besides, Soul Tempo is fully willing to take care of the Lord’s business
towards all age groups. Those two assets make Doing My Father’s Business an essential for the personalized urban music library.

Peggy Oliver

The Urban Music Scene